¶&%%%†;»~¨                                          ¨~»;†%%%&¶
¶%;;;;»¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨»;;;;%¶
###¶&%;»~¨                                          ¨~»;%&¶###
#¶%†»~¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨~»†%¶#
###¶&%†;~¨                                          ¨~;†%&¶###
&†»»¨¨¨¨¨¨             ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨             ¨¨¨¨¨¨»»†&
##¶&%†;»~¨             THE ALVAR FIELDS             ¨~»;†%&¶##
¶%;~¨¨¨¨¨¨             %%%##########%%%             ¨¨¨¨¨¨~;%¶
##¶&%†;»~¨                                          ¨~»;†%&¶##
¶&&†;»~¨¨¨ FROM   NORTH  TO   SOUTH,   THIRTY   ODD ¨¨¨~»;†&&¶
¶¶%%;;»¨¨¨ KILOMETERS.  FROM  WEST  TO  EAST,  FOUR ¨¨¨»;;%%¶¶
##¶&%†;»~¨ THOUSAND METERS.  FROM TOPSOIL TO STONE, ¨~»;†%&¶##
¶¶¶&%†;»~¨ A FOOT OR  TWO. NO  ROOTS CAN FESTER, NO ¨~»;†%&¶¶¶
¶&&%;~~¨¨¨             DUST CAN LINGER.             ¨¨¨~~;%&&¶
##¶&%†;»~¨                                          ¨~»;†%&¶##
##¶&%†;»~¨ HERE  IS  EARTH,  CLAY,  AND  STURDY LOW ¨~»;†%&¶##
##¶&%†;»~¨ PLANTS.  BUSHES  FRAME  THE  STRIP.  THE ¨~»;†%&¶##
¶&&&%†;»~¨ EARTH IS BARE  IN PATCHES  AS  LARGE  AS ¨~»;†%&&&¶
##¶&%†;»~¨               YOU AND ME.                ¨~»;†%&¶##
#¶%;~¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨~;%¶#
##¶&%†;»~¨ CROSS IT TO GET  TO THE  OCEAN, OR DON'T ¨~»;†%&¶##
#¶%;;;~¨¨¨          TO STAY WHERE YOU ARE.          ¨¨¨~;;;%¶#
##¶&%†;»~¨                                          ¨~»;†%&¶##
#¶%††;;»~¨                                          ¨~»;;††%¶#
¶%%%†;;»~¨                                          ¨~»;;†%%%¶
&%†;»¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨»;†%&
¶%†;;;»¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨»;;;†%¶
##¶&%†;»~¨                                          ¨~»;†%&¶##